Need some auto engineering factors and info

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JHZR2

JHZR2

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Dec 14, 2002
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Hi,

as many know, my 83 MB 300d was destroyed by a girl with minimum insurance. Her insurance company now has the audacity to request a 12 juror trial, and claims that she is completely free of liability.

I need to derive the physics of the accident. So, I need a variety of important design info. For example:
-5 MPH shock absorber bumpers, how much force is it designed to take (what mass of a car at 5 mph?)
-How much energy is absored by heavy steel crumpling (steel designed by German engineers in the mid-1970s), per unit length or area of crumple?
-What is the contact patch of a 195/70r-14 tire? What is the coefficient of friction of this tire, if brakes are held tight,and the tires are skidding on hot pavement?

Any ideas where I can start to get this sort of data? I need coefficients, etc., so that I can perform an energy balance, and then calculate how fast she must have gone before ruining my car, pushing it forward, and plowing into the car in front.

Thanks in advance!

JMH
 
JMH,
There are some VERY knowledgeable people on Acurazine's off topic section. The key is to post around 12PM EST, when most of these people are either bored or on break.

ot.acurazine.com

Otherwise, go find a Physics teacher.
wink.gif


Mike
 
No, mainly because we are in NJ, and utilizing insurance for anything makes premiums go sky high (we have exceptional driving records, so we dont pay more than anyone in any other state as of now, and want to keep it that way). We have our own lawyer and are trying to do as much of it ourselves to keep costs down. Lawyers fees can cut deeply into a $7500- matter.

JMH
 
Didn't the police do any kind of accident reconstruction to determine her speed? Or are you surmising that it was not accurate?
 
It was on a heavily traveled interstate - their first goal was to clear the wreck to fix the large traffic jam.

JMH
 
You might want to get the opinion of somebody on the police force who does accident reconstruction. I don't know about the accuracy of their results, but I am sure that it would convince a jury easily. At least they should be willing to give you some information about the things they consider when looking at a wreck.
 
pure and simple, you NEED a lawyer.

A good lawyer will have resources to do just this. You can bet the insurance company will have theirs. Upon winning the case, you can get your legal fees paid by the losing party. Many lawyers will take this on a win-pay lose pay nothing basis.

In fact your just having a lawyer may encourage them to settle.

This is not the time to pinch pennies.
 
If you have a good insurance company, you need to get them involved if they're not. A police report + your insurance company = her insurance company reemed.
 
I am guessing that this girl doesn't have many assets to go after. If she did, I think JHZR2 would be letting a high-paid lawyer take care of everything. JHZR2 did say he has a lawyer, just that he is trying to keep the costs down.

From what I see, he is doing it the smart way. He'll get some evidence, have his lawyer present it to the insurance company, scare them a little, and offer to settle.

I'd like to know how the insurance company can claim that the girl has no liability when it sounds like she rear-ended two cars.
 
Her assets are an insurance policy. Which is why the insurance company is involved.

keeping costs down is nice, but as I said, if you win they will have to pay all your costs.
 
Her insurance policy will pay out $5000. My car has about $7500 worth of damage as it took all of the brunt of impact. The car in front of me, which I glanced off of (I turned my wheels as she came at me), and she hit as well, also has about the same amount of damage, apparently.

So in the end, the insurance company can only pay out $5000 between the two of us... and she has nothing, she didnt even own the car.

JMH
 
I just ran across this in the paper today... Wolf Technical Services of Indianapolis. They do accident reconstruction. The contact is Stuart Nightenhelser. Though I doubt their services are worth pursuing.

To answer your bumper question, 5 mph bumpers are designed for the car to hit a stationary wall at 5 mph max with damage limited to just the bumper mechanism.

Information on energy absorption of the crumple zone can only be obtained from the office that did the test, whether it's the manufacturer or a government crash testing facility.
 
JHZR2,

Do you have any theories as to why the insurance company want's to go to a jury over such a small amount (for them) of money? It seems strange.

It would be cheaper to have the case heard before a judge and probably result in a more rational result. Maybe that's why they want a jury, but between the expense of a jury trial and the chance that the jury will stick it to them, something doesn't sound right.
 
The insurance company has its team of lawyers, who need to protect either the insurance company or the girl at fault. It is believed that since we have gone thus far on our own (small claims, etc), that they are trying to intimidate us. It is unclear as to whether or not they even have a right to a jury trial at such small amounts of money.

We have uninsured and underinsured coverage. However, in NJ, the overall insurance situation is quite poor. We have the most expensive rates, etc. in the country, and to exercise policy payouts will most often reuslt in significant premium inreases. Further, because of the age of the car (a classic according to the blue book, but not quite a classic according to NJ DMV rules, causing us to not to be elligible for 'stated vale' coverage), it is hard to determine value. Why should we have to fight with OUR insurance about the valuation, then be paid by our insurance and have higher premiums as a result. We hope to be made as whole as possible.

I tried to be a straight shooter, I was honest, told them that I was not injured and that I was well, etc., hoping to have a quick settlement. Now theyre dragging me over the coals as a result.

PROGRESSIVE SUCKS - DON't BUY INSURANCE FROM THEM, THEY DO NOTHING BUT HARM YOUR FELLOW HARD WORKING AMERICANS.

JMH
 
quote:
Originally posted by JHZR2:
The insurance company has its team of lawyers, who need to protect either the insurance company or the girl at fault. It is believed that since we have gone thus far on our own (small claims, etc), that they are trying to intimidate us. It is unclear as to whether or not they even have a right to a jury trial at such small amounts of money.

We have uninsured and underinsured coverage. However, in NJ, the overall insurance situation is quite poor. We have the most expensive rates, etc. in the country, and to exercise policy payouts will most often reuslt in significant premium inreases. Further, because of the age of the car (a classic according to the blue book, but not quite a classic according to NJ DMV rules, causing us to not to be elligible for 'stated vale' coverage), it is hard to determine value. Why should we have to fight with OUR insurance about the valuation, then be paid by our insurance and have higher premiums as a result. We hope to be made as whole as possible.

I tried to be a straight shooter, I was honest, told them that I was not injured and that I was well, etc., hoping to have a quick settlement. Now theyre dragging me over the coals as a result.

PROGRESSIVE SUCKS - DON't BUY INSURANCE FROM THEM, THEY DO NOTHING BUT HARM YOUR FELLOW HARD WORKING AMERICANS.

JMH
Click to expand...
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"Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness." It's the American way.
 
Have you gotten into a personality conflict with the other lawyer or the adjustor?

Maybe they have just decided to bust your chops. Not right, but that type of thing does happen.

BTW, if the total insurance coverage is only $5K and two plaintiffs are after that, and the defendant has zip assets of her own, this looks to be a real dog.

Just claim against your own policy, that's why you bought underinsured coverage, let them go after the negligent party, and go on with your life.
 
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